Friday, August 31, 2007

(IsraelNN.com) Israel's government has agreed, in writing, to hand over 6,250 square kilometers of land – the equivalent of its entire biblical and strategic heartland - to an Arab terror state. So reports Dr. Guy Bechor, a leading expert on Arab affairs, who also supplies some of the details of the negotiations.Bechor reports, based on "leaks from the Palestinian side," that Israel has, in the past few days, presented Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas at least one draft of an "agreement of principles."The agreement calls for a state named Palestine to be established alongside Israel, and have a territory of 6,250 square kilometers: the equivalent of all of Judea, Samaria and Gaza. "Palestine" will be demilitarized.

Israel agrees to redivide Jerusalem. Arab neighborhoods will be under Arab sovereignty and Jewish ones under Jewish sovereignty. Mention is made of "religious areas," but further details are not known as of yet. Each side will recognize the other's spiritual needs.

The gospel of The Purpose Driven Life is not the same as the gospel of the Bible. The Purpose Driven Life gospel is inoffensive, attractive, winsome, popular and easy to believe. The gospel of the Bible is offensive and hard to believe. It is a narrow gate and narrow path with few adherents ( Matthew 7:13, 14). The danger of course is that many who are entering the wide gate offered by The Purpose Driven Life will falsely assume they have become Christians when they have not...

...Since Warren’s book is filled with the precepts of men propped up by many misuses of the bible and bad translations, this confusing amalgamation is his "doctrine". Jesus called this sort of thing "vain worship". The gospel is too important to be stripped of it’s key doctrines, accessorized with human wisdom, turned into a spiritual journey of self-discovery and sold to an unsuspecting world as "Christianity". Its very nature requires that it be proclaimed with bold clarity.

In a post at Christian Post.com, Warren published a story entitled Five Tools Saddleback Uses to Develop Spiritual Maturity, and in this self-serving diatribe, Warren begins by boasting of the grand success of Saddleback. He then proceeds to let all of us know just what we need to do to become spiritually mature.

Editor's note:Thank you Mr. Corley for bringing this into focus. Those who have studied Warren’s man-centered theology are well aware that the strategy of vagueness is part of the marketing and is undergirded with self-esteem psychology, ecumenism, and a potpourri of the mystical and commercial.

Biblical spiritual maturity is, as a fruit of the spirit, produced by “the unity of the faith” and “the knowledge of the Son of God.” These will lead to mature manhood, “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians. 4:13).Next verse speaking the truth in love, growing under the Truth into Him who is the Head, Christ. (Eph:14-15)Then add the concept of suffering, to be conformed into His image. The Purpose Driven Life has a blank page on these essential matters.

Since Warren’s theology is Biblically off-course out-of-the-gate, regarding Biblical Truth, his program of taking people around the training bases results in mere religious activity modeled after corporate America.

Any pastor concerned with the spiritual maturity of their flock can save themselves $300 and teach the whole counsel of God, verse by verse.“But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their faculties trained by practice to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14)

Another reason why Christianity Today's article "Attack Dogs..." misses the mark:From the Introduction, page xxiv of The Truth War by Dr. John MacArthur:

"Controversy and conflict within the church are never to be relished or engaged in without sufficient cause. But in every generation the battle for the truth has proved ultimately unavoidable, because the enemies of truth are relentless. Truth is always under assault. And it is actually sin not to fight when the vital truths are under attack.

That is even true even though fighting sometimes results in conflict within the visible community of professing Christians. In fact, whenever the enemies of gospel truth succeed in infiltrating the church, faithful believers are obliged to take the battle to them, even there. That is certainly the case today, as it has been since apostolic times."

"The reason some so-called Christians (who are really false teachers) are being exposed in public is because these guys and gals have done what they did IN PUBLIC. They are answerable in public just as they were in the first century. We are to mark and avoid false teachers and we are to show clearly that true biblical believers are NOT associated with those who bring down the cause of Christ. How else will unbelievers know the difference between false Christianity and true biblical Christianity?...stop attacking mature Christians who have discernment and start defending them. We are to stand for the truth in love. To whitewash false teaching in public is not love at all, it is hate."

Dr. Bill Jackson of Christians Evangelizing Catholics rebuttals the CT article with this:"Regarding “Attack Dogs of Christendom,” (August 2007), if Mr. Aikman is disturbed by Ken Silva and David Cloud, he should read Matthew 23. Jesus also instructed us in John 7:24 to “judge righteous judgments.” Mr. Aikman’s implied approval of all the ministries and men singled out by the “attack dogs” demonstrates a lack of discernment on his part.If some of their choice of words seems less than civil, I would rather have them shout too loudly than be silent. I liken them to watch dogs whose bark may disturb me, but they are used to warn of real problems. Evangelicalism is the home of too many men who are silent concerning the grave ecumenical threats of disobedient Christians."

Editor's note:Interesting to note how false prophets and teachers were viewed throughout the Bible. Christ called them wolves in sheeps' clothing & vipers. In Romans, Christians are instructed to mark and avoid them. In Galations, Paul said let him be condemned to hell who brings a false gospel. 2 Corinthians 2 Paul describes false teachers as deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ... Satan's servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. 2 Peter 2 paints the picture of destruction of the church body by false teachers. Jude instructs the faithful to contend for the faith. In the Greek, contend is zomai, meaning to agonize against. There's a battle raging regarding the holiness & sovereignty of God, the absolute truth of His Word and the souls of men are at stake. This battle rages within the visible Church, as it has throughout history. And there aren't enough soldiers willing to battle for the Truth.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

The Bible foretells many signs that would culminate in the last days. Jesus indicated these signs would arise together as His return drew near (Matthew 24:33-34). Though many of these prophecies won’t climax until the tribulation period, our generation is the first to see every trend in place. As the final seconds of this age tick away, these events will come into even clearer focus. Keep in mind as you read through this list that these prophecies were penned 1900 to 3500 years ago! How does this relate to you? The last several pages provide the answer – you need to read them carefully.

"Leading the charge against alleged ecumenists is Apprising Ministries (AM), a New Hampshire-based group whose leader is Southern Baptist pastor Ken Silva. Rick Warren, according to AM, is a "milquetoast." Schuller and the late Norman Vincent Peale are "the devil's duo." Richard Foster (a leading Quaker writer on Christian spirituality), Brian McLaren (a leader in the emerging church movement), and Joel Osteen (pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston) are "vipers of new evangelicalism" and "whitewashed tombs."

True Discernment weighs in with this...."Apparently Discernment Web Sites are Attack Dogs? You know things are pretty bad in the world of Evangelical Christianity when one of its leading publications doesnt understand why there has been such a growth in discernment web sites in the last five years, its because Evangelical Christianity has went down the tubes!"

Monday, August 27, 2007

"... there is no voice like that of Dr. Walter Martin in the tepid and timid tolerant American Christian Church of today. For example the following by Dr. Martin is spot on for the Emergent Church currently swallowing up the spiritually petrifying Slowly Becoming Catholic supposedly “Protestant” denomination home to Purpose Driven Pope Rick Warren. If Dr. Martin were still with us I have no doubt that he would say to these emerging Hollow Men who dare deny the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible:

The time has come to take off the velvet glove with these jokers, and tell people what they are really up to, and this is what they are up to: They are up to the perversion of the text of the Holy Scriptures..."